Guppies are far from picky eaters due to their nature of consuming almost anything offered to them. However, aquarists must practice feeding them a balanced and nutritious diet to expedite healthy growth and ensure they thrive. Apart from their diet, there are some factors related to feeding that could be followed to ensure a healthy lifestyle is offered.
What Do Guppies Eat?
Since guppies typically occupy near the water surface, feeding any sort of floating food is recommended. While this is a suggestion, it is not a hard and fast rule as certain dietary staples may not float at all. The following is a list of food that can be included in their diet;
- Fish pellets/ flakes.
- Tubifex worms.
- Frozen/ live foods such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, and mosquito larvae.
- Veggies such as boiled spinach, mashed green peas, and bits of boiled carrots.
- Boiled egg yolk.
Guppies being an omnivorous species, they consume anything and everything that fits in their mouth. Hence, guppies in the wild rely on a varied diet that includes algae, plants, and invertebrates. The feeding of such diverse diets can be replicated in captivity when aquarists provide a combination of the above-listed food from time to time.
How to Feed Your Guppies?
Ideally, feeding your guppies once or twice a day is sufficient. Most importantly, make sure that the portion of food must not exceed what the fish can consume within 5-10 minutes. During instances where any food remains uneaten, ensure to remove them using a fish net to prevent water from clouding and being contaminated.
When feeding guppies, simply sprinkle their food into the water and your fish should be attracted immediately. If your guppies are new to the aquarium or during times right after a water change, it is normal for your guppies to take some time to give their fullest attention to feeding.
Furthermore, feeding food such as egg yolk can cause foul water in no time. Hence, it’s advisable to be prepared to conduct the necessary tank maintenance afterward!
Diet Requirements
Although guppies are an omnivorous species that gladly devour any sort of food, it’s essential to remember that certain types of food are essential to gather necessary nutrients. For instance, protein-based food helps build colors while fat provides energy for the fish. Hence, this reiterates the importance of feeding a varied diet.
Meanwhile, guppy fry must be fed with protein-rich food such as egg yolk, brine shrimp, and daphnia to encourage faster growth. Once the young guppies are comfortable munching on their food, other foods such as boiled spinach and flakes can be added to their diet.
Final Thoughts
Feeding guppies isn’t something that should be made complicated, rather the approach lies in the discipline of offering a balanced diet consisting of a variety of different food types. In evaluation, enjoy keeping your guppies happy and healthy by simply providing a healthy diet comprising all essential nutrients, while avoiding overfeeding them!